Bessie Sue's Proposal
by BettyHT
Summary: Every leap year, on February 29, traditionally, a woman may ask a man to marry. This is the story of Bessie Sue's decision to do that and what happens next.


Bessie Sue's Proposal

A nice winter day was about to be ruined for one Cartwright brother. The three brothers had come into town to get supplies taking advantage of the unusually mild weather and a chance to enjoy some leisure time as soon as they completed the errands their father had detailed for them. Cooped up on the ranch for nearly six weeks, they were feeling especially happy to be in town and able to enjoy some time away from moving snow and doing chores.

"Hoss Cartwright, I've been looking for you." Bessie Sue marched up to Hoss Cartwright as he was loading supplies into the buckboard in front of Cass' store.

"Yes, Bessie Sue, I heard that. I was just looking for you too." That surprised Bessie Sue who had nothing to say for just a moment. Of course, Hoss was looking for her because if he saw her first, he could go the opposite way. He was looking for a way to escape at that very moment but nothing occurred to him.

"Hoss, I got something to say to you, and I ain't leaving 'til you give me your answer, and it better be the right one." Bessie Sue stood with hands on her hips and her chin jutted forward. That pistol on her hip added a measure of gravity to the stance as well. She was almost as tall as Hoss and looked him in the eye.

"Ah, of course, but don't you want something to eat first. Maybe I could meet you over at the new restaurant on D street as soon as I run some errands." Hoss was desperate and fell back on an earlier ploy that had worked.

"Hoss, you told me that last Saturday, and then I never did see you. Your older brother come by and says you took sick and had to head on home. Well, you're looking mighty healthy now." Now Bessie Sue had that suspicious look making Hoss even more nervous.

"Yeah, except I'm thinking it's coming back at me right now." His stomach was in turmoil but probably not enough to get him out of this predicament.

"Well, now today's the day, and I gotta ask today or wait four more years. I ain't waiting four more years. This is way too important to put off."

"Huh?"

"It's the twenty-ninth of February, and it only comes up every four years in a leap year like right now. It's the only day that women can ask men to marry up with 'em. Ain't many chances for a woman to do what she wants out here so I gotta take em when I get em. We been seeing each other nigh on to eight years, so, Hoss, I'm asking. Will you marry me?"

Adam and Little Joe had come upon the pair and had taken seats on chairs in front of the general store to listen to the show. Adam had a big grin as he rested his chin on his hand with his elbow resting on the side of the chair, and he looked back and forth from one to the other depending on who was speaking. Joe was sitting on the edge of his chair looking like he was going to break out in one of those cackling giggles for which he was famous. Hoss was planning on kicking him all the way home if he did that. He wasn't sure what Adam was going to do but hoped he wouldn't laugh because that would make him powerfully angry with his older brother.

Hoss stammered and didn't know what to say. If he said no, Bessie Sue was likely to tear up the whole town and him with it, and if he said yes, he was going to be married to Bessie Sue. It was one of those come hell or high water situations. Suddenly Adam decided to help in his own way.

"Hoss, you have to tell her what you expect of a wife."

"Huh?'

"You know, you've always said you wanted a passel of kids. It seems to me that you said one a year was about right. Now if you get married soon, you could have fourteen or even sixteen by the time you're forty-five. With luck and some twins, maybe you could even make twenty."

"Twenty kids?" That shook Bessie Sue about as hard as when that horse of hers had kicked her in the head two years earlier. She had taken a few months that time until she could see straight and think straight. Hearing that Hoss wanted to have a houseful of kids had about the same effect.

Hoss was almost as surprised but quickly caught on when he saw that look that Adam had. "Huh? Oh yeah, Bessie Sue, it's just like Adam said." Adam rolled a finger for Hoss to keep going. "Course you'd have to spend a lot of time cooking for all of us. You'd need to learn all of Hop Sing's special recipes. Hmm, hmm, that man can cook. I know you'd want to be a good wife and cook for me to make me happy." Hoss had gotten his voice back now that his older brother was there helping.

Joe decided he could help too. "As soon as you learn Chinese, Hop Sing can start teaching you those recipes."

"Learn Chinese?" That was a daunting prospect to a woman who found learning all the rules of English to be more than she could handle.

"Yes, Hop Sing is like a part of the family. We all had to learn some Chinese. Right, Hoss?"

"Shì de."

Adam stepped in having more of a flair for the dramatic and for writing a play in three acts. "Yes, well, that would be in the afternoons and the evenings. When Hop Sing was busy, you could be making dresses for your trousseau."

"Dresses? What's a two so?" Bessie Sue only wore dresses to dances and complained about it even then.

"Oh certainly you would need a lot of dresses because Pa wouldn't let any lady live on the Ponderosa and not wear dresses every day for everything. Hoss can buy some bolts of cloth today so you can get started. A trousseau is what the bride brings to the marriage. It's her dresses, finery, lady's things, and fine dinnerware and kitchen ware and such that she will need to set up housekeeping for her husband. In fact, while Hoss is helping you get some cloth, Joe and I can go over and order a side-saddle for you from the saddlery. We'll have them make it look real nice with flowers carved into it. It will be very pretty."

"A sidesaddle?" Bessie Sue rode astride of course. To her, sidesaddles were for sissies, and she was no sissy. "I ain't riding no sidesaddle."

By then, Hoss understood completely what his brothers were doing. "Well, Bessie Sue, ya cain't ride astride in a dress, and I'll be happy seeing you in a dress every day as I kiss you before I head off to work and you can cook and clean and keep the house all clean and nice for us. Yeah, so that's a start. I'll let you know the other things ya gotta do as soon as I talk with Pa and get his say-so. I'll make a list and bring it over to ya with some more cloth and frilly stuff for dresses."

"Hoss, maybe it would be better if we waited four more years. I mean, a lot can change in four years, now, can't it?" And Bessie Sue was gone. She was a strong woman, but until that moment none of the brothers had realized how fast she could get away.

"Boy, Hoss, that gal can move." And then Joe couldn't hold it in any more, and started giggling. "Your face, you had to see your face when she asked you." Joe couldn't speak any more and nearly fell from the chair as the giggles overtook him. In between cackles, he had more to say. "Your face turned green, I think. You looked like a giant leprechaun." Joe couldn't talk any more after that.

Adam stood and looked down at Joe. Shaking his head, he stepped into the street and looked up at Hoss. "Let's go to the saloon, and celebrate your near death experience the way real men do it with some cool libations."

"Huh?"

"Let's go have some beers."

"That I can say yes to with no regrets. I'll even buy." He wrapped a big arm around his older brother's shoulders. "You know sometimes that fancy talk of yours is plain confusing and sometimes even a bit irritating, but after today, I ain't never gonna complain about it ever again. It sure smoothed my way outta that trap slicker than axle grease."

"Just remember to help if I ever need the same."

"Oh, I will, but I think our younger brother is likely to be the one needing our help more likely."

"Could be a shotgun and an angry father with that one."

"Could be. In that case, he's on his own."

By then, Joe had caught up to them. "Hey, on my own. Why? What have you two been talking aobut? Hey, why would I be on my own?


End file.
